Alcatel announces 3 new phone series: 5, 3, 1

Some people want the latest and greatest offering from the big flagship companies (don't worry, I'm getting to the announcement from Samsung shortly... a smashed thumb makes it hard to type lately).

Some just want a good phone at a great price. Enter Alcatel.

The Idol series I thought were fantastic for the bargain.

Over the weekend Alcatel announced 3 new phone series at Mobile World Congress, the 5 series, the 3 series and the 1 series.

Essentially the 5 are the top end, the 3 are the middles and 1 becomes the economy variant. See below for the full press release.

What's great, is that all these devices they come with 18:9 viewing ratio. It's so hard to go to anything but now that I've had them.The 5 series

5.7" 1440x720

MTK6750 Octa-core

3GB RAM

32GB storage + microSD (max 32GB)

13MP f/2.0

Selfie cameras

13MP (f/2.0)

5MP (120°, 1.4µm)

3000mAh

Fingerprint sensor

So, the resolution is a little sub-par, and there's no 'rapid charging' for the battery, which is a shame, but at around $470CDN it's still a good buy.

What was neat was the option to set up individual fingers as 'triggers' to unlock and go straight to a specific app.

The 3 series
There is a few here

3V

6" 2160x1080

A53 1.45GHz x4

2GB RAM

16GB storage + microSD

rear 12MP + 2MP

front 5MP

3000mAh

3X

5.7" 1440x720

A5 (1.28GHz x4)

3GB RAM

32GB storage + microSD

rear 13MP + 5MP

front 5MP

3000mAh

3C

6" 1440x720

MT6753

3GB RAM

16GB storage

rear 8MP

front 5MP

2800mAh

So it's funny how this one is a little over the map for the features and specs. Like the 3V has a better resolution than the 5. It's all tradeoffs for what you want I guess.

The 1 series

There's 2 here as well, the 1X will be an Android Go edition

1C

5.3" 960x480

A53 1.45GHz x4

2GB RAM

16GB storage + microSD

rear 12MP + 2MP

front 5MP

3000mAh

1X (Go Edition)

5.3" 960x480

MTK6580 A53 1.3GHz x4

1GB RAM

16GB storage + microSD

rear 8MP

front 5MP

2460mAh

Press release

TCL Communication Formally Introduces World’s First Complete 18:9 Smartphone Portfolio with the Alcatel 5, 3 and 1 Series at Mobile World Congress 2018

BARCELONA – February 24, 2018 – TCL Communication today formally kicked off Mobile World Congress 2018, introducing its all-new and evolved smartphone portfolio, which features experiences that modernize its Alcatel smartphones, bringing flagship-style features and premium design language across the entire lineup. Alcatel will be the world’s first brand to deliver an immersive 18:9 display experience across each series in the portfolio, made possible by using custom-built displays leveraging parent company TCL’s award-winning television technology and bringing the immersive entertainment experiences to smartphone customers. The portfolio also features all-new Alcatel experiences such as Face Key, a facial recognition technology, and enhanced camera options that give users more control over how they capture the moments they want to remember and share. Additionally, Alcatel is committed to the security of its devices and will be offering regular Android security updates, on a minimum quarterly basis, on its most popular smartphones, including its all-new 2018 devices.

With Alcatel FullView 18:9 displays, Alcatel smartphone customers in all of our categories will experience more screen space in smaller form factors across the entire portfolio, making it easier to comfortably browse the Internet, connect with friends and loved ones via social media, catch up on the latest news and enjoy cinematic views for the entertainment they love. Since 18:9 displays reduce the width of the phone, each device feels smaller and easier to hold than comparable devices with the same display size.

“For nearly 20 years, Alcatel has been a leader at delivering high-quality, premium mobile technology experiences that are accessible to consumers around the world,” said Christian Gatti, Global President Alcatel Business Division and Executive Vice President TCL Communication. “As we introduce an all-new direction for our smartphone portfolio, we remain focused and committed to pushing the boundaries of what an affordably priced smartphone can be, providing even richer experiences and flagship-style designs for our customers around the globe.”

SIMGANIC: ALCATEL’S VISION FOR SIMPLE, ORGANIC INDUSTRIAL DESIGN

“In order to evolve our product portfolio, we needed to start by re-thinking the way we approached the design of our smartphones so that user interaction feels more natural and intuitive,” said Hagen Fendler, Chief Design Officer, TCL Communications. “With our newly introduced smartphone portfolio, we’re unveiling the beginnings of our new design philosophy we call SIMGANIC. This approach conveys organic and simplicity that aims at creating truly caring products with human centric perspective, allowing us to deliver iconic style with thoughtful details and the ability to standardize this philosophy across our entire lineup.”

The SIMGANIC design language can be seen and felt across Alcatel’s all-new 5, 3, and 1 series of smartphones. The series are broken down into the following:

ALCATEL 5 SERIES
Geared towards everyday lifestyle, the Alcatel 5 series gives customers the best in an affordable flagship for under 300EUR. This series will include the Alcatel 5, which features a bezel-less 5.7- inch Alcatel FullView 18:9 display, premium brushed metallic unibody design and octa-core processor. It also includes experiences that are built for social media lovers to share, such as a 13MP f/2.0 front-facing camera with a secondary 5MP 120-degree super wide-angle lens and LED flash, offering amazing self-portraits that capture three times more than a typical selfie, for stunning group shots. The intelligent camera intuitively switches from portrait mode to super wide-angle mode when it detects more than two faces in the shot.

Additionally, Alcatel is also focusing on customers who love taking pictures to share their lives with friends and family. As a result, the Alcatel 5 comes with a suite of intuitive photo editing tools called Social Mode, which will allow you to take photos in a fun and more efficient way. With Social Square, you can review recently captured photos in one half of the screen, while the camera viewfinder remains active in the other half. This enables customers to review pictures as quickly as they take them, while making it possible to take new pictures at the same time. Instant Collage lets you mash up your best shots into pre-set arrangements. Each section of the collage is taken one-by-one using the camera viewfinder and shifts to the next shape as you progress through the collage. Photo Booth brings back those nostalgic photo moments from the fair or friends’ parties by taking four pictures in a row, one shot per second.

The Alcatel 5 will feature several key experiences designed to deliver greater value to customers, including Face Key. Face Key is a new level of facial recognition security that enables you to easily unlock your device by simply glancing at the screen. In a process that takes less than half a second, Face Key breaks down each facial scan into over a hundred data points to ensure a more reliable match.

The fingerprint sensor is conveniently located on the back, and will include functionality beyond unlocking your phone, such as doubling as a shutter key when taking selfies and keeping sensitive information locked away in privacy mode; additionally, the sensor is programmable allowing each individual finger to launch a different app or service, so you can go straight to your commonly used apps; like Facebook with your index finger, Instagram with your middle finger and your phone dialer with your pinkie.

The Alcatel 5 is now available in select markets in Metallic Black and Metallic Gold for 229,99EUR.

ALCATEL 3 SERIES
Offering the best in affordable innovation for under 200EUR, the Alcatel 3 series provides many of the great key experiences in the 5 series, including Alcatel FullView 18:9 displays, fingerprint sensors and Face Key. The 3 series is designed with beautifully curved lines, sleek 2.5D contoured edge glass, and curved backs, for a comfortable fit.

Within the 3 series are three new devices that come with high-quality Alcatel FullView 18:9 displays. The Alcatel 3V packs an impressive 6-inch 2K (2160x1080) screen for an immersive viewing experience; the Alcatel 3X offers a 5.7-inch (1440x720) IPS display; and the Alcatel 3 comes with a 5.5-inch (1440x720) IPS display.

The 3 series also features dual rear cameras (in select devices). The 3V uses a 12MP camera paired with a 2MP secondary depth camera with LED flash, providing real-time bokeh and the ability to change the area of focus on any shot, even after it’s taken; and the 3X has a 13MP primary camera and 5MP 120-degree super wide-angle lens with dual-tone flash, making it possible for you to get more content into each shot, whether it’s a group photo or a panoramic vista. Each device in the series also offers 5MP front-facing cameras with LED flash for well-lit selfies regardless of the time of day.

Now available in select markets, the Alcatel 3V comes in Spectrum Black, Spectrum Blue and Spectrum Gold for 189,99EUR. The Alcatel 3X will be available in select markets next month for 179,99EUR, and will come in Metallic Black, Metallic Blue, Metallic Gold, Spectrum Black, Spectrum Blue, and Spectrum Gold. The Alcatel 3 will be available in select markets next month in Spectrum Black, Spectrum Blue and Spectrum Gold for 149,99EUR.

ALCATEL 1 SERIES
Starting at under 100EUR, the 1 series of smartphone products is Alcatel’s most affordable lineup, providing universal access to great technology for everyone around the world. The 1 series breaks the entry-level stigma of bulky design, low quality displays, poor performance and disappointing camera experiences. This series will include the Alcatel 1X, the first sub-100EUR device from a major global brand to come with an 18:9 screen. Select variants of the 1X also come with other key Alcatel experiences like Face Key and fingerprint sensor, and all variants come with Social Mode for the camera, along with a fit and finish that makes it much more premium than its price tag. Available in select markets in April with single-SIM and dual-SIM options (depending on market), at 99,99EUR and 109,99EUR respectively, the 1X will feature black and blue color options in Suede, as well as gold and rose color options in a satiny finish.

For more information on all of Alcatel’s latest smartphone and other mobile devices, please visit www.alcatelmobile.com.